by Olivia Mulcahy

 

Every bilingual or ESL teacher I know in Illinois looks forward to the winter. Or at least, we all look forward to one special week in early December when it’s usually time to head to Oak Brook for the bilingual conference (as it’s been popularly called), or The Annual Statewide Conference For Teachers Serving Linguistically And Culturally Diverse Students (as it was actually called), or Multilingual Illinois (as it was renamed last year). 

This chilly week is the one time a year we get to feel the full warmth of our huge community–to enjoy the embrace of all our Illinois colegas who live and breathe language learning and teaching multilingual learners. Whether we come from schools with thriving multilingual ecologies full of fellow bilingual colleagues or we are the lone teacher credentialed to work with English Learners in a whole district, we all work in a larger field that does not always center the students and families we serve, where multilingualness is not always the norm, and where what we do means we are often working at the metaphorical margins. 

But during this week, we find old friends and make new bonds. We swap stories and trade teaching tips. We converge to get nourishment from being in community together, partake in the sustenance of fresh strategies, and get fuel from big ideas. We enjoy the camaraderie born of our shared experiences, similar struggles, and collective expertise. And during this one wintry week, none of us is an “other” because we are together.

This year would have been the 44th year of the conference. Forty-fourth! But this pandemic had different plans and so, though we cannot gather together in 2020, we can still find ways to sustain, fuel, and nourish each other.

This year, to mark the moment, the IRC will be hosting a slow chat on Twitter from December 7th-11th. Each day of that week we will post 3 discussion prompts. It’s a slow chat–you can respond whenever it’s convenient for you–but if you want to see who is online to chat in real time, hop on to Twitter and join us at 7 a.m., noon, and 3 p.m.! Let’s connect!

In the meantime, we can visualize and reminisce. What would we have been doing at these times at the conference? A day at Multilingual Illinois for me might have looked something like this…

7:00 a.m.

Caffeinating. Checking the weather and traffic to get on the road to Oak Brook. Finding parking before the lot gets packed. Big saludos to the IRC team at the front tables! Reviewing the sessions I’d tagged to go to for the day. Remembering I couldn’t really choose from all the great options and realizing I’ve triple booked myself on breakouts. Deciding I’ll figure it out later. Browsing and chatting with the vendors who are already there getting unpacked for the day. Noting which picture book displays are beckoning me to return to them later. Scouting out a good seat for the opening keynote. Scanning the gathering crowd for friends and colleagues. Thinking over the session I’ll be leading later. Getting good jitters…

12:00 p.m.

Brain is buzzing with ideas. Maybe I’m finishing up a sketchnote in my journal or lingering to talk to one of the morning presenters. Realizing I need to hustle. Getting some cardio trying to navigate back from one of those faraway meeting rooms near the golf course. Planning to squeeze in a quick loop through the hallway to browse for bilingual picture books. Recognizing so many familiar faces (I’m good with faces)! Maybe sneaking a peek at a nametag (I’m not so great with names). Running into the old friends I knew I would see and maybe some whose presence is a happy surprise. Throwing arms around someone I haven’t seen since last year, and quickly negotiating which of 0-3 kisses on the cheek are culturally called for. Admitting the picture books will have to wait. Entering the ballroom, hoping someone saved me a seat. Listening to excited teacher chatter, clinking of silverware, Judy announcing the sale of raffle tickets. Enjoying a hearty three-course luncheon (likely featuring chicken). Deciding to forgo the dessert (I don’t really love cheesecake). Trading ideas and stories with my tablemates. Absentmindedly eating the cheesecake anyway (it is actually pretty delicious). Realizing I’m already running late for the next round of sessions…

3:00 p.m.

Feeling that good tired. An energized tired. Pondering. Which last session to make sure to catch? Did my own session go as well as I’d hoped? How will I evolve it for next time? How much more can my brain hold today? Which friends to catch before they leave? Weighing whether to leave soon myself or stay much later to avoid the traffic home. Chatting with Josie and debating which student-made treasure to purchase from the IAMME table. Finally circling back to the picture books. Finding the ones with the most beautiful examples of translanguaging, the most vibrant artwork, the most satisfying paper texture. Dropping a lot of money. Not feeling at all guilty (buying books is never wrong). Calling home to say I got wrapped up in the conference and I’ll be back later than I thought. (Spouse laughing because he already knew that would happen.) Thinking ahead to the next day’s fantastic sessions…

OK, I am clearly and already missing being at the conference. And I am already missing seeing all of your beautiful faces. AND I know I’ll REALLY be missing you in early December so…

Stay warm, take care, be well, and let’s connect! 

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One way to connect? Build community & share ideas with hundreds of educators and professionals like you across Illinois at the 2022 ESSA/Multilingual IL Virtual Conference, February 22-25, 2022. Register here!